Aftermath
by McAbbyAddict
Summary: What happens when McGee risks his life for Abby's? McAbby. Rated T because I'm a bit paranoid. COMPLETE! Chapter 6 is now up
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is my first fic, so please be gentle. Also, it has not been beta'd, so any mistakes and continuity errors are my own**

**Disclaimer: All characters etc are property of Belisarius Productions; I don't own a thing**

Chapter 1

"Hey Abs, what have you got?" McGee greeted Abby as he entered her lab. He knew that Gibbs was waiting on some fingerprint evidence for their latest case so he'd come down to see if Abby needed anything

"Hey McGee" He handed her a Caf-Pow

"Thanks! I'm running the prints off the murder weapon through AFIS now, but I haven't gotten any hits yet"

As they stood discussing the evidence in their latest case, McGee realised there was something wrong; out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the people walking past Abby's window were suddenly running, as if to get out of the way of something. He didn't think; his agent's training came to the fore and he instinctively grabbed Abby and threw her towards the outer doorway, out of harm's way; just as the runaway car ploughed through the basement window, taking out a large chunk of the brickwork with it.

He crashed to the ground, caught under falling rubble and Abby's computer shelving.

Up in the squad room, DiNozzo and Gibbs ducked as they heard the crash and felt the building shudder from the impact; together they turned, asking "What was that?" They realised it was coming from the basement area, and bolted to the stairs leading to Abby's lab and the morgue.

Reaching Abby's floor, they could hear her calling for McGee, her voice right on the edge of panic; they ran even faster down the hallway, and skidded to a stop in the doorway.

What greeted them inside looked like a scene from a nightmare

The car had punched partway through the window and wall of the lab on an angle, sending chunks of brick and mortar flying. The impact had knocked over Abby's computer shelves, and smashed monitors and computer parts lay on the ground. What was most ominous was the sight of McGee, barely visible under the debris, and not moving

Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and dialled the emergency number "This is Agent Gibbs from NCIS; we need fire equipment and an ambulance here now!" He told the dispatcher where to find them, then hung up and went straight to Abby

"You ok?"

She nodded, a terrified look on her face as she gazed towards McGee's motionless form. He followed her stare

"He'll be ok, Abs, we'll get him out"

Then he went to join DiNozzo's frantic efforts to try and free his youngest agent

"Careful DiNozzo, you don't want to bring any more of this down on him!"

As they cleared a small area of debris, they could see that the back of McGee's head was covered in blood

"Abs, go get Ducky down here, now!" Gibbs barked over his shoulder. He knew that head wounds always bleed profusely, but he wasn't taking any chances, not with one of his agents.

The impact with the floor knocked the air out of McGee's chest, then the remains of the computer shelving fell across his back, pinning him to the floor. He could hear Abby yelling his name, and he tried to respond, to let her know he was ok, but the lack of air and the weight across his back stopped him from being able to make a sound to reassure her.

He heard DiNozzo and Gibbs arrive, felt the debris being shifted around. They were trying to get him out. He couldn't move, and he could feel something warm and sticky on the back of his head and neck; he looked straight ahead and saw one of Abby's heavy CRT monitors smashed on the floor less than inches away from his head. Boy am I glad that one missed, he thought

The pressure across his back eased as the older two agents moved more and more debris away; he could feel the compression of his chest lifting, and could finally take a deep breath; the dust in the air started him coughing

The sound of McGee coughing brought sighs of relief to both Gibbs and DiNozzo; he had looked almost dead, lying so still underneath everything.

"Good God, Jethro, what has happened here?" Ducky asked as he entered the room

Gibbs paused in his efforts to free McGee as he explained

"McGee's caught, and he's bleeding from the back of his head, Duck. We need your help"

"Well, let's get the rest of this off him so I can get to him"

The fit of coughing had passed. They could hear McGee say faintly "I'm ok, boss" and see him trying to move.

Instantly Ducky was at his side "Don't try to move just yet, Timothy. I need to make sure you're ok first"

Knowing that McGee was conscious and trying to talk to them made Gibbs and DiNozzo double their efforts to get him free. Finally, they could slide him forward, free of the wreckage. Ducky gently stopped him from trying to stand.

"I need to check your neck first, dear boy. Just a precaution"

Abby stood frozen in the doorway as they freed McGee, a mixture of panic, terror and finally, relief as she heard him speak, on her face. Tony spotted her as he straightened up from pulling McGee clear, panting from his hard work. He went over to her

"He'll be ok, Abs, really. Probie's tough"

She nodded. A small sob escaped her as she heard McGee ask

"Where's Abby, boss? Is she ok? I tried to get her clear before the car hit- "

Gibbs cut him off "She's just fine, you got her clear" He motioned to Abby to come into McGee's line of sight.

As if that was the catalyst she needed, Abby rushed to McGee's side, dropping to her knees beside him

"Oh my God, Timmy, are you ok? I was so scared!"

McGee smiled and reached for one of the Goth's rapidly flailing hands

'I'm fine, Abs, stop worrying!"

"Yes, well, I'll feel better when we can get a cervical collar on you, dear boy. Just lie still until the EMTs get to us" said Ducky, looking concerned "Can you move your feet at all, Timothy?"

McGee demonstrated that he could, bringing a look of relief to Ducky's face.

Just then one of the EMTs made it into the lab

"Sorry about the delay, we had to check on the driver of the car first"

He quickly went about the business of checking McGee and fitting a cervical collar. Then he and Ducky lifted McGee onto a gurney

McGee insisted that he was fine and didn't need to go to Bethesda. Seeing the stubborn look in his eyes, Gibbs was about to relent until Ducky pulled him aside

"He does need to go to Bethesda, Jethro. With all of that weight falling across his back like that, there is a very real risk of internal bleeding"

Nodding, Gibbs motioned to the EMT to take McGee to the waiting ambulance.

"Gibbs, I want to go with McGee"  
"Abs-"

"Please, Gibbs?" she insisted

"Fine, go on" he said, seeing the concern in her eyes. He knew she'd worry less about McGee if she knew what was going on

"Take your car, Abs, then you can drop McGee home later. And I want a status report as soon as possible!"

"Thanks Gibbs!" she gave him a quick hug, then went to get her hearse out of the lot.

Satisfied that his youngest agent was in good hands, Gibbs set about finding out what had happened to send the car through the wall in the first place

Seeing him come outside, Ziva joined him

"Nothing suspicious, Gibbs. It looks as though the brakes failed. The driver will be fine."

As they watched, the driver was loaded into the back of an ambulance, and the waiting tow truck drivers started organising the removal of the wreck with the MPs.

"It was just bad luck, Gibbs"

He nodded, and made a mental note to get a copy of the police report, just in case something was hinky with this accident.

Bethesda Naval Hospital was mercifully quiet. McGee was taken straight to an exam room, where the medical staff quickly set about taking his vitals. As much as he didn't like the fuss, he knew that protesting was futile; it was easier to let them do what they did than argue about it.

Finally the doctor came to speak to him

"Ok, Agent McGee, all of your vital signs are normal and you show no signs of spinal injury, so we're going to remove that cervical collar now. However, I am concerned about the possibility of internal bleeding, so we're going to send you for a CT scan to rule that out."

McGee resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Fine"

"Oh, and there's a Miss Sciuto asking for you outside, should I send her in?"

Abby had followed him to the hospital?  
"Yeah, let her in"

She rushed to the side of his bed

"McGee, are you alright?" she was pale from fright. He hated to see her frightened.

"I'm fine, Abs, they just want to do some tests before they send me home. Ok?"

She nodded, and then sat in the chair that was next to the bed for visitors. Moving it closer to the bed, she reached over and took his hand

Slightly startled, he turned his head to look at her. Abby was often demonstrative, but this was different. She gave him a small smile and explained

"You look like you could use a hug, but I don't want to risk hurting you"

Content, he leaned back against the pillows and waited

Soon an orderly came to collect him and take him to CT. Abby used the time to call Gibbs and let him know what was happening, then settled down to wait again

McGee came back grumpy and wearing a hospital gown. At her questioning look, he told her that they'd made him change into it for the CT scan

"I hate these things. Anyway Abs, they said there's no sign of bleeding, so they're just going to stitch up this cut on my head and then I can go."

"I'm driving you home, ok?"

"You don't have to do that, Abby"

"I know- but I want to"

"Thanks, Abs"

The doctor came back a few minutes later and put 3 stitches into the cut on the back of his head. He dressed several other minor cuts on his back that didn't require stitching.

"Ok, Agent McGee, you're good to go now. The cut on your head is superficial; we don't need to worry about concussion. You're going to develop some bruising however; that's to be expected. Take Tylenol if you need to. And keep those sutures dry; your regular physician can take them out in a week. Oh, and I'd better give you these"

He gave McGee the bag containing his clothes and left.

"Ah, Abs, do you mind? I'd kinda like to get out of this stupid gown" McGee said. She got up and pulled the curtain around his bed

"Thanks, Abs"

He slowly clambered into his pants and shirt. _The doc wasn't kidding about bruising_ he thought. He could see Abby's platform boots moving around impatiently from under the edge of the curtain, so he pulled it back

He groaned as he shrugged the remains of his jacket back on

Immediately Abby was at his side, her eyes wide with concern

"Are you sure you're ok, Timmy?"

He smiled at her use of his first name

"Just a little sore, Abs, ok? Really" he reassured her.

"Come on, let's get you home"

"I should call Gibbs first"

He pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial

'Yeah, Gibbs"  
"Hey Boss"

"McGee! You all right?"

"Yeah boss, they've just released me. Just cuts and bruises. I'll be in tomorrow"

"Good news, McGee. Go home and get some rest" the phone clicked as Gibbs broke the connection.

McGee followed Abby out to her car

She was quiet for Abby on the drive to McGee's apartment, although she kept shooting little sideways looks at him. Finally he covered one of her hands on the steering wheel with his.

"I'm ok, Abs. Just sore and very tired. Please, stop worrying" he smiled at her.

Once at his apartment she was all business, trying to hassle him into lying down to get some sleep. He let her help him as much as possible, but he drew the line at helping him to change into pyjamas.

"Thanks, Abby" he sighed as he lay down, already on the point of sleep

She smiled as she covered him with the comforter. She made sure he was asleep before she let herself out and locked the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Ok, this is a really short chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

A niggling thought in the back of his mind awoke McGee a few hours later. He was forgetting something... something he'd forgotten to do

"Abby!" he sat bolt upright, then wished he hadn't. The cut on his head was throbbing, and the word stiff didn't even begin to describe the way his back muscles felt.

He'd forgotten to make sure that Abby was ok; she said she was fine physically, but he'd thrown her pretty hard in the chaos of the moment. What if he'd hurt her? The thought gave him chills.

Groaning, he rolled over and turned on the bedside lamp. What had he done with his cell phone? He needed to call Abby. He admitted to himself that he desperately needed to know if she was ok

Abby sat at McGee's desk in the squad room, watching the team go about the business of solving their latest case. As the lab would be out of action for a while, all forensics work was being farmed out to the FBI; Gibbs had called in a favour from Fornell. So there was no need for Abby to still be at work, in fact Gibbs had told her to go home early. But she didn't want to be alone tonight, and besides, sitting at McGee's desk was comforting, familiar.

He'd risked his life for her today; he'd gotten hurt in the process. Although she hated to think about it, they risked themselves every time they went into the field. She was used to them getting occasionally hurt in the course of their jobs.

But somehow, this was different, more personal. This was Timmy, her Timmy, her best friend, the one she could always depend on to help her. Even today, he'd made no effort to save himself; the last thing he did before the car hit was make sure that she was ok. The look on his face, of fear and desperation, had spoken volumes.

Reliving those awful few minutes when she thought he was dead, killed trying to protect her, left her with shaking hands as panic threatened to overwhelm her again.

"Abs, you ok?" The soft touch on her shoulder made her jump. Gibbs stood over her, looking concerned. She looked around wildly, suddenly noticing that the bullpen was dark; Tony and Ziva had left for the night.

"They tried to say goodnight, Abs, but you looked pretty deep in thought. Wanna ride home?"

She hesitated for a moment. Right on cue, her cell phone rang

"Ok, see you tomorrow Abs" She waved goodbye to Gibbs, searching for her phone in her bag. She pulled it out and saw McGee's name on the caller id. A wave of emotion washed over her, leaving her strangely breathless as she snapped open the flip. Even as she wondered why she was nervous _'Nervous? Of Timmy?'_ his voice was calling her name.

"Abs. Abby? Are you there?" His voice sounded like he was on the edge of panic.

"I'm here, Timmy. What's wrong?" She tried to sound as normal as she could, despite the strange breathlessness

"I-I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I didn't hurt you or anything this afternoon, did I?"

_Sweet Tim. Damn near gets killed, but he's still making sure that I'm alright_ Abby thought

"I'm fine, Timmy. Are you ok?"

"I'm ok, Abs" She made a mocking noise in her throat

"Ok, well maybe not ok, but I will be in a couple of days. Nothing serious, remember?"

He was trying to cheer her up. She knew she tended to over react when one of the team got hurt, and she needed that reassurance now; that he definitely would be ok.

"Hey, Tim?"

"Yeah Abby?"

"Thanks. For saving me"

"Anytime, Abs."

"I'm serious, Tim. Anyway, goodnight"

"Goodnight, Abby"

She hung up. Somehow their brief conversation had left her with butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She kept seeing the look he gave her in the split second before the crash. Somehow she knew that the fear there hadn't been for himself; it had been for her. Shaking her head slightly to clear the memory, she got in the elevator and headed for home.

Tim looked at the phone in his hand for a long moment after Abby broke the connection. Something in her reaction this afternoon bothered him. While Abby always reacted strongly to one of them getting hurt, the look on her face had been extreme, like she was in the midst of panic. He knew that terror had probably been written all over his face as he threw her away from the crash; wistfully he wished that her reaction was due to the same reason as his.

He loved her. God knows he'd tried to get over her in the past 5 years, but there was something about her that kept drawing him back. He fiercely wished that she felt the same way about him, but he knew she didn't. He was her best friend; that was enough. Would have to be enough, even if the desire to be more than that was sometimes a physical ache. He could control that; he'd had enough practice.

He let the relief of knowing she wasn't hurt wash over him for a minute, then rigidly controlled himself. The compulsion to drive over and check on her was strong, but he wouldn't let himself give in. Unrequited lover he might be; stalker he wasn't.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another short chapter guys, sorry. I promise the next one is longer. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 3

Abby lay in her coffin, wide awake. It was 4am, and she'd spent the night tossing and turning, trying to figure out why she was so disturbed about this brush with death. Her team was like her family; every time one of them was injured disturbed her, of course. What she couldn't understand was why this particular near death experience had terrified her so badly. Even when Gibbs was in a coma, she hadn't felt such absolute dread.

Sighing, she gave up on sleep for the night. What she needed right now was advice. Wrapping herself in her black, skull decorated robe, she sat down and flicked on her laptop. It was too early to call anyone, but she knew that Ducky got in habitually at 0600; she'd send him an email

'To: Ducky

From: Abby

Ducky, if you have some free time this morning, can you please call me? I need to talk about a personal matter

Thanks, Abby'

Once the email sent, she went and got in the shower, letting the hot water soothe away some of the tension. Then she got ready to head into work. While she wasn't strictly needed with the lab out of order, she hated to feel at a loose end. Plus, she admitted very quietly to herself, Tim would be there.

As she got out of her hearse in the parking lot, her cell phone rang. It was Ducky

"Good morning, Abigail. Is everything ok?" his gentle concern made Abby smile

"I need some advice, Ducky. Are you free to talk to me for a while?"

"Of course, Abigail, we don't have any guests so far this morning. Mr Palmer will be late this morning; a dentist's appointment, I believe"

"Ok, I'll be right there"

Ducky hung up the phone, a worried frown creasing his forehead. While it was not unheard of, it was unusual for Abby to come to him for advice; usually she went to Jethro. She had sounded oddly serious on the phone also.

When she entered Autopsy a few minutes later, his frown became more pronounced. Gone was the forensic scientist's usual bounce and bubbly demeanour; she appeared pale and drawn, as if she hadn't slept.

"Hi Ducky" she murmured

"Abigail, are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm not sure, Ducky. I need to talk to someone, and I don't know who else to go to"

"Oh dear. Is this a medical problem, by any chance?"

She smiled mechanically

"No Ducky... it's about yesterday." She fidgeted, picking up small objects off Ducky's desk and putting them back

Ducky waited patiently; Abby would eventually open up

Finally she turned

"The guys on the team- they've gotten hurt heaps of times, Ducky. They're field agents, they get injured. It's usually minor, and they bounce back quickly. But after yesterday... I saw Tim damn near get killed trying to protect me. And now I can't stop thinking about it... "She trailed off

"Is it just because it's the first time you've been that close to one of the field agents when they've gotten injured?"

"I don't know Ducky" She got up and started pacing, her thoughts obviously going a mile a minute

"I think... I think it was the look that Tim gave me. He saw the car coming; Ducky... he didn't even try to protect himself. He just had time to get one of us out of the way. And there was this split second when I was trying to get up from where he'd shoved me to, just as the car hit... He looked so scared, Ducky. He can be so strong. And then everything was falling and I couldn't see him anymore, and I was calling him and not getting an answer, and then I saw him and he wasn't moving and-"

Her voice was getting faster and higher as she continued speaking, her hands flailing wildly

"Shh, Abigail, calm down"

She looked up, tears streaming down her face

"I thought he was dead, Ducky... Timmy..."

'It's perfectly natural to experience these feelings after an event such as yesterdays, Abigail..."

She cut the ME off

"It's not just the accident, Ducky. I can't stop... thinking about Tim...And then he called me last night to see if I was ok, and I was nervous talking to him. He's my best friend, Ducky, I shouldn't be nervous!"

She took a deep breath and waited for Ducky's input

"It sounds like you're having some mixed feelings, Abby. Are you nervous that Tim may blame you for his injuries?"

She shook her head

"I hadn't even thought of that, Ducky. It's more like... I'm more aware of him. I can't help thinking... Ducky, you know that Tim and I used to date, right?"

"Well yes, but that was years ago, Abby"

"I broke it off, you know. He wanted... more"

"And now you're thinking about that time?"

Abby just looked at him

"Abby, have you considered that, maybe, you love Timothy?"

"I don't know!" she wailed

She sunk onto Ducky's chair and covered her face with her hands

The elderly medical examiner patted her on the shoulder, trying to offer her comfort while giving her time to think

Eventually she looked up

"And what if I do, Ducky? I'm not saying that I do or anything... But what if I do? I blew my chance with Timmy years ago"

Ducky chuckled "My dear Abigail, you are forgetting rule #8"

Just then, the phone rang

"Autopsy" He listened for a moment "Yes, I sent those samples up to Abby's lab yesterday"

The mention of his guest made him look around, but Abby had already left.

"Oh dear. I do hope she's ok"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A slightly longer chapter. Bear with me folks, this story is almost done. Just 2 more chapters. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read and review.**

Chapter 4

McGee dragged himself out of bed when his alarm went off; his muscles were stiffer than he'd thought possible. He tried to stretch, to get some of the muscles working again, but gave it up when they seized in a cramp. He shuffled into the shower, hoping the hot water would give him some relief.

Feeling vaguely human again after a very long, very hot shower, he slowly got ready for work. He was tempted to call in sick; surely Gibbs would understand? But McGee was a conscientious agent, and he knew he could work. Just maybe not at his usual pace.

He walked into the bullpen at about half his usual speed. It seemed to hurt less if he kept his back as straight as possible; but judging from the half hidden grins of DiNozzo and Ziva, it looked as ridiculous as it felt. Trying to sit down was even worse

"How's the back, probie?" DiNozzo asked.

"As about as good as can be expected, Tony. Sore."

"Good thing we don't have any field work lined up today then, McGee?" Gibbs did his usual trick of appearing out of thin air.

"I'm ok, Boss"

Gibbs raised a disbelieving eyebrow, but let it slide. He'd keep an eye on the youngest member of his team; after yesterday, McGee didn't really need to be in today anyway.

"Um, boss?" DiNozzo spoke up

"What is it, DiNozzo?"

"When are we going to get results on the forensics for yesterday's case? I mean, I know we had delays getting the evidence over to the FBI labs, but we're kind of at a standstill and-"

"Whaddya want me to do, DiNozzo? We'll get them when we get them. "

The thought that Abby wasn't even going to be here today hadn't occurred to McGee. The knowledge made a crappy day even worse. He really wanted to see her, to make sure she was definitely ok. He couldn't help but worry about her. She'd sounded odd on the phone last night.

With a sigh, he settled himself as comfortably as possible and engrossed himself in checking bank records for their current suspects.

Ducky looked up as the door to Autopsy slid open

"Ah, Jethro, what do we owe this visit to?"

"Need a medical opinion, Duck"

"Oh?"

"I got McGee upstairs, can barely sit still. Looks like standing is about as bad. Should he even be here, Duck?"

"He dragged himself in here today? I would have thought he'd take a sick day. None of his wounds are serious, but the bruising to his back and legs must be highly uncomfortable"

Gibbs allowed himself a half smile

"Gotta admit he's dedicated, Duck. I'll send him home"

As he turned to leave, Ducky spoke again

"Have you seen Abigail today, Jethro? She left here this morning quite upset"

"Abby was in this morning?"

"Yes, she came in and spoke to me for around thirty minutes early this morning"

"Haven't seen her, Duck. Thanks for the heads-up"

The door swooshed open and he was gone.

The news about Abby disturbed Gibbs; she'd witnessed one of his team come close to death yesterday. He wasn't as worried about McGee; he was a trained field agent, and while he wasn't much of a one for praise, a damned good one. Abby was another matter. She wasn't used to seeing events like yesterdays, and the fact that she'd gone to Ducky but hadn't visited the squad room worried him. It was unlike Abs not to come upstairs in search of people to talk to if she was upset, and he thought she would have definitely come to find McGee after yesterday.

He checked the parking lot first; it was possible that she had gone home again, seeing as though her lab was offline for the time being. But her hearse was unmistakably there.

The next logical place to check was the remains of her lab.

He found her curled up on the floor of the lab, hugging Bert the hippo for comfort. She was facing the plastic sheeting where the outer wall used to be. She looked small and vulnerable.

He squatted on her heels next to her.

"You ok, Abs?"

"Just thinking, Gibbs. How's McGee?"

"Pretty sore; about to send him home. It's a slow day. You sitting on the floor down here for a reason, Abs?"

"When do they think they'll fix my lab, Gibbs?" He sensed that wasn't what she'd been thinking about, but he didn't want to pry. She'd talk when she was ready.

"They're saying about a week for the walls and windows; your new computers should be here by tomorrow. The Director says you can set them up in the evidence garage for now, Abs. That is, if you feel up to coming back to work"

She just looked at him

"We could use you; McGee isn't going to be much help for a few days"

Her expressive eyes clouded over.

"Poor Tim" she replied, turning her face back to the plastic sheeting

"Hey; don't dwell on it, Abs. You're both ok"

"I know, Gibbs" she sounded miserable

"I'm here if you need me. Go home, get some rest. And stop worrying; McGee will be just fine in a day or two"

"Thanks, Gibbs" she smile she gave him was half hearted, but it was an improvement.

As he left the lab, he reflected that now he had two team members to worry about.

As he re-entered the squad room, he caught another of McGee's ill-concealed winces.

"McGee, go home. I do not need to see you here for the rest of the day"

"Boss?"

"That's an order, McGee"

Secretly relieved, he struggled up out of his chair and stumbled a little getting to his feet

"You alright there, Probie?" DiNozzo sounded concerned.

"Just stiffened up from sitting, Tony, but thanks"

He gathered up his things and shuffled to the elevator. Before he left, he thought he might go visit Ducky.

The door to Autopsy swooshed open again, interrupting Ducky from his inventory.

"Ahh, Timothy. How are you feeling?"

"Been better Ducky. Stiff and sore mostly. I was wondering if you could give me any advice on managing the stiffness? I can't keep getting sent home"

"There's no shame in it, Timothy."

"I know, Ducky, but I can't do my job if I'm stuck at home"

Ducky chuckled, but took pity on the young agent. "Try a sauna, Timothy. Does wonders for muscular aches and pains"

"Thanks, Duck, I'll try that."

"How's Abby doing?"

"I haven't seen her today, Duck"

"I guess she went home, then."

"Wait, she was in today?"

"Yes, Gibbs was looking for her earlier. She didn't come and see you? That's odd"

"Very"

Concerned, McGee left Ducky to his inventories

McGee went upstairs and checked Abby's lab, but it was deserted apart from the construction crew. He sighed, reminding himself that just because the forensic scientist was constantly on his mind didn't mean he was on hers and made his way out to the parking lot. His beloved Porsche was still sitting where he'd left it yesterday, but there was no sign of Abby's hearse. She must have left without seeing him. Though he tried not to let it, that hurt. He'd protected her yesterday, and today she was avoiding him.

He shook himself mentally as he drove out of the parking lot; telling himself to forget her. He couldn't stop the ironic, mirthless grin. He'd been telling himself to forget her for years and it hadn't worked yet.

He took Ducky's advice and spent a few hours in the sauna at his gym, then decided to call it an early night. He hadn't slept much the night before. It was uncomfortable to sleep on his back, and he'd never slept well on his stomach.

Before going to bed, he logged on and checked his emails. In amongst the usual spam, there was one from Abby. It read

'Tim-

Sorry. I need to get my head together.

Love, Abs'

Smiling slightly, he went to bed in a more cheerful frame of mind.

The next morning it was a lot easier to get out of bed; Ducky's advice appeared to work. He might even be able to make it through today. Before he left for work, he checked his emails again in the hopes that there might be another message from Abby. No such luck. He knew she'd contact him when she was ready, he'd just hoped that she'd be ready to talk to him sooner rather than later.

They finally had some of the forensics results that morning. It was much less fun getting them in the form of dry reports from the FBI labs than directly from Abby, but at least they had something to work with now.

Able to concentrate better today, McGee returned to his search of the suspects bank records. He spotted some discrepancies in their dead sailor's wife's accounts

"Ah, boss, I think I got something here"

"Put it up on the plasma, McGee"

He transferred his searches to the main screen and grabbed the clicker

"Ok, boss, I was searching through the wife's bank records, and I noticed that there are a lot of small electronic transfers to another account under a different name. There are hundreds of transfers, overall they add up to over $15000"  
He highlighted some of the transactions on the plasma

"The money went into this other account and then sat there for several weeks. Then it was transferred out in two lots. I traced the transfers, the money was routed through several different countries-"

"You got a point, McGee?"

"Sorry boss. The money eventually ended up in an account that is suspected to belong to Carlos Rivera. He's on Interpol's red list, linked to multiple unsolved murder cases. I think this was a hit, Boss"

"DiNozzo, David, bring her in!"

"On it, Boss!"

Tony and Ziva grabbed their gear and headed for the elevator

"That's good work, McGee"

McGee grinned as he sat back down at his desk and started running the wife's phone records again, looking for more links to their suspected hitter.

He was engrossed in tracing calls from the wife's cell phone when Gibbs dropped some papers on his desk

"McGee"

"Yeah Boss?" he looked up, slightly startled. He hadn't heard Gibbs approach his desk

"Got the police report on the accident to Abby's lab. No sign of foul play, just a simple mechanical failure"

Relieved, McGee smiled

"Thanks, Boss. That's good to hear"

He went back to his phone traces, conscious of a worry he wasn't aware of having disappeared.

When Tony and Ziva had brought in their suspect, he made his way down to Interrogation. He always liked to watch Gibbs break a suspect; it made all the hard work worth it to put away another dirt bag.

This one was easy. Confronted with the money transfer evidence, the wife broke down and confessed that she'd arranged her husband's death. She'd held a massive life insurance policy on her husband. They charged her with being an accessory to a homicide.

Back upstairs, a good fingerprint match from the knife used to kill their Navy lieutenant, and a lucky hit on their BOLO led to the team gearing up and heading out to catch Rivera. The contract killer had gotten sloppy; he should have known you can get a print even through a tight latex glove.

On his way back to the squad room to start writing up his notes for the case file, McGee detoured past Abby's lab. All the debris had finally been cleaned up, and they were starting to rebuild. Luckily there hadn't been any major structural damage, but they'd still shored up that side of the building to be safe.

The lab reminded him; he didn't know if Gibbs had told Abby about the police report. He pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial for Abby

"Hey, Abs, it's me"

"Hey McGee, what's up?" God, it was good to hear her voice

"The Boss got a copy of the police report, Abs. The car's brakes failed naturally, the brake pads were worn out"

"That's great news, Tim. Thanks"

"You sound better today, Abby. Are you sure you're ok? I'm worried about you"

She didn't respond for a moment

"I'm ok" she said, but her voice sounded choked up

"Tim?"

"Yeah, Abby?"

"Thanks. For worrying"

His phone clicked as she hung up. _Thanks for worrying?_ He thought. Now he was even more worried than before. It wasn't like Abby to sound that vulnerable.

Forcing himself to put her out of his mind, he went back upstairs and got back to work.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Abby hung up on Tim before her emotions could get the better of her. He worried about her? The thought brought tears to her eyes even as it made her smile. It was so like him to call her about the police report; he always seemed to know that things like that bothered her. It was one of the things that made him such a good friend.

"_Abby, have you considered that, maybe, you love Timothy?"_ Ducky's question had been like a revelation. Even as she'd told him that she didn't know, it had hit her that she did know.

She loved Tim. Not like puppies, as she'd told him just a few weeks ago. She love- loved him. She always had, she just didn't know how to let herself love him.

Now she had two problems. Did Tim still love her? She thought she'd blown that years ago, but Ducky had told her that she was forgetting Rule #8. Rule #8 was 'Never take anything for granted; always double check'

The second problem was what did she do now?

Part of the answer to the second problem depended on the first. Was it too late for them? She racked her brain, trying to remember anything that Tim had said or done that might provide an answer.

He worried about her; protected her; helped her; listened to her rambling; a hundred more small things occurred to her. The problem was all of those things could just be a measure of their friendship.

Her mind kept going around in circles, the same as it had yesterday. She'd left the Navy Yard with her thoughts in a whirl, had gone home where she wouldn't be disturbed. But she was no closer to answers now.

She hadn't wanted to leave the Yard without seeing Tim, but she'd had to stop herself. She couldn't risk seeing him then; couldn't trust herself not to blurt out what she'd just discovered about herself. Apart from Tim's reaction, she could imagine what Gibbs would say. 'Never date a co-worker' was another of his Rules, and she was pretty sure that telling one that she loved them fell under that Rule.

This brought up another problem. Gibbs.

If Tim still cared enough to try again, they worked together. If Gibbs found out, there'd be hell to pay.

All of which brought her back to the same question. What did she do now?

She slumped back onto the couch, hugging Bert. All this thinking was giving her a headache. She sat there, letting her mind wander aimlessly until it occurred to her that her apartment was getting dark.

All of a sudden the inactivity became too much for her. She got up restlessly and paced for a moment. Maybe a shower would help clear her head.

The shower helped a little; at least, she'd come to a decision of sorts. She had to talk to Tim. This really wasn't the sort of conversation you could have over the phone. She'd have to go over there.

She dressed in a hurry, knowing he'd be home soon, and rushed out the door. The decision to talk to him had made her impatient to see him.

But when she got to his apartment, it was in darkness. He obviously wasn't home yet. She hesitated, her resolution wavering. She wanted to have this conversation, but he wasn't there. What should she do now?

Ziva had recently taught Abby how to pick locks. The temptation to go inside and wait for him was too much to be resisted.

It took her longer than she liked to get the door unlocked, but she finally succeeded. Hoping that he wouldn't be too mad at her for breaking in, she settled down on the couch to wait for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: this is the last chapter, guys. Thanks for reading! **

Chapter 6

McGee slowly walked up the stairs to his apartment. It had been a long day; after Gibbs had released them for the night, McGee had gone back to the sauna for a while, then stopped and got a few groceries on his way home. Juggling keys and the sack of groceries, he opened the door and went inside. Not bothering to turn on a light, he stashed the cold foods in the refrigerator. The rest could wait til morning. He just wanted a shower and some sleep.

Turning to walk down the hall to his bedroom, he stopped in his tracks.

There was someone curled up, asleep, on his couch.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, sure his mind was playing tricks with him.

Nope, they were still there.

Quietly, unwilling to disturb them, he took a few steps closer. It was Abby. Even in the dim light, she was beautiful. His face softened at the sight of her, even while he wondered what she was doing there- and how she'd gotten inside.

Making sure she was definitely asleep, he relaxed and smiled at the sight of her. So peaceful. It wasn't the smile he usually allowed himself to use around her; all the pent up love he felt for her was evident in this smile. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and smoothed away one of her pigtails where it had fallen across her face.

"Mm, Tim..." she muttered in her sleep, a small smile on her face

He froze; had he heard her right? As quietly as he could, he moved away from her. What was she doing asleep on his couch?

She was stirring now; her eyes fluttered open. Her head turned, looking for something. She spotted him leaning against the wall watching her, and smiled sleepily

"Tim..."

"Abby, what are you doing here?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, and silently he cursed himself as he saw her draw back.

"I-I wanted to see you" she stammered, her smile faltering

He took two steps towards her and squatted on his heels next o the couch

'I'm sorry Abs, that was snappy. You just took me by surprise is all"

That was better; she was smiling again. He loved to see her smile

"Why did you want to see me, Abs?" he kept his voice gentle this time. Something was obviously going on with her, otherwise why had she been asleep on his couch?

"I wanted to see if you were ok"

He half smiled at that

"I'm just fine Abs, getting better every day" He let himself reach up and kiss her on the cheek as extra reassurance that he was indeed ok

As he pulled away, he saw a light in her big green eyes that he'd never seen there before. What was really bothering her?

She started fidgeting with the edge of one of the cushions, sure sign that she was nervous. Trying to relax her, he slowly moved so that he was sitting down, at an angle to her. She needed to get something off her chest; he knew that it was easier for her if he wasn't directly in her line of sight.

'Tim, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything, Abs" he responded, but his eyes were wary

"Are- are you still in love with me?"

Taken aback, he closed his eyes as pain washed over him

"Why?" his voice shook

Head down, her fingers still plucking nervously at the cushion, she responded

"I've been thinking a lot since the crash, Tim. I thought you'd been killed and I'd never see you again... I was terrified that I'd lost you. I need you in my life, Tim... Is there any hope for us?"

"I can't..." he swallowed. "I can't do this again, Abby. Not if you're not serious" The anguish he felt was evident in his voice, despite his best efforts at control

"I am serious, Timothy. I've never been this serious in my life"

He half smiled at the use of his full first name. She only used it if she was deadly serious about something. He turned so he was facing her fully, kneeling so they were on the same level

"If you're sure, Abs..." his voice shook so much it didn't even sound like his

"I'm sure, Tim. I love you"

He leaned closer to her and lightly touched his lips to hers, cupping his hand along her jaw. He felt her melt into him and slid his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her, running one hand up under his shirt. He shuddered at the touch of her hand on his bare skin, moving her as close to him as he could. Somehow he ended up leaning against the couch cushions with her straddling him. Breathless, he pulled his head away for a moment

"Bedroom?"

"Bedroom" she agreed. He picked her up and carried her with him to his room, both of them shedding clothes along the short hallway

Afterwards, both tired and satisfied, she lay with her head on his chest, idly drawing small circles on him with one fingertip. He held her tightly to him, afraid to let her go

He was the first one to break the cosy silence

"I keep thinking this is a dream"

She raised her head to look at him. He smiled reassuringly.

"If it's a dream, I don't ever want to wake up"

She kissed his lips lightly, making him smile even wider

"I love you, Abs. I never stopped loving you. You know that, right?"

She snuggled closer into his embrace

"I love you too, Tim"

On the edge of sleep, he chuckled and said

"I'll tell Tony and Ziva if you'll tell Gibbs"

"It's a deal" she said, grinning at the thought of those conversations.

Wrapping her free arm across his chest, she faded off to sleep.


End file.
